Review of Entourage (2015) by Patrick L — 19 Aug 2015

"I won't be hanging out with this Entourage anytime soon".

Movie Review: Entourage.

Date Viewed: June 6 2015.

Directed By Doug Ellin.

Screenplay By Doug Ellin, Story By Doug Ellin and Rob Weiss, Based on the television series created by Doug Ellin.

Starring: Jeremy Piven, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, Kevin Connolly, Perrey Reeves, Debi Mazar, Billy Bob Thornton, Haley Joel Osment, Rex Lee, Scott Mescudi,.

Ronda Rousey, Rhys Coiro, Constance Zimmer and Emmanuelle Chriqui.

Featuring cameos from Jessica Alba, David Arquette, Warren Buffett, Kelsey Grammer,.

Tom Brady, Gary Busey, Mark Wahlberg, David Spade, Andrew Dice Clay, Pharrell Williams, George Takei, Piers Morgan, Liam Neeson, Bob Saget, Ed O'Neill, Common, Mark Cuban, Armie Hammer, Nora Dunn, Jon Favreau, Martin Landau, Matt Lauer and many more.

These guys dream large and live larger alright, "Entourage: The Movie" is basically four episodes of the TV show packed into one movie and it's "Sex and the City 2" for men. Don't get me wrong, I love a Hollywood satire when it's done right but in "Entourage", there's nothing to see here. It's just four guys touring around Los Angeles looking for hot chicks to bang and hot parties to crash and a cynical studio head who only cares about his reputation and his money. Vincent (Adrian Grenier), Drama (Kevin Dillon), Eric (Kevin Connolly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) are all back and they still have no arc to them at all and they didn't learn anything from their previous experiences together.

I never watched the TV show so it was difficult for me to appreciate the movie but when it was over, "Entourage: The Movie" still contains many of the elements from the hit HBO series which ran from 2004-2011. There is nothing special about this movie at all, "Entourage" feels like another "Hangover" installment but with a bunch of celebrity cameos and characters who are more clueless than the Wolfpack.

Eight months after the series ended, Movie star Vincent Chase, who separated from his wife after nine days of marriage, wants to do something new in his career, he wants to star and direct his next movie. When Chase's new movie, Hyde is $15 million over budget, he calls his former agent-turned-studio executive Ari Gold for help by bringing in an additional $10 million to complete the movie. Soon, Ari flies to Texas to meet the movie's co-financiers, Larsen McCredle (Billy Bob Thornton) and his son Travis (Haley Joel Osment). When Travis goes to L.A. to see the rough copy of the film but Vince cancels the screening because he fears that no one will enjoy it.

Vince gives the copy to Ari and Travis for their viewing and they really enjoyed it but Travis wants Ari to cut the scenes with Vince's brother, Johnny "Drama" Chase. If Ari doesn't cut his scenes out, Travis will not give the extra money Vince needs to finish the movie. Meanwhile, Eric wants to make amends with his ex-fiancee, Sloan McQuewick (Emmanuelle Chriqui) who's pregnant with his baby but he has to juggle with various women who want to sleep with him. Turtle on the other hand wants to go out with MMA superstar Ronda Rousey (playing herself) but he has to survive at least 30 seconds in a fight with her.

Did I mention that there a bunch of star-studded cameos in this movie? We have Mark Wahlberg (who is one of the producers of "Entourage" and is also the true inspiration behind the show), Tom Brady, Jessica Alba, Mark Cuban, Andrew Dice Clay, Gary Busey,.

David Spade, Warren Buffett, Martin Landau,.

Nora Dunn, Armie Hammer, George Takei, Kelsey Grammer, Piers Morgan, Bob Saget,.

Pharrell Williams, Jon Favreau, and yes, even Liam Neeson makes an appearance as himself giving the finger to Mr. Gold.

This whole enterprise feels slapped together by director and co-writer Doug Ellin who created the series ten years ago. Despite hilarious supporting turns from Ronda Rousey and Haley Joel Osment, "Entourage" isn't smart or challenging enough to become a Hollywood satire. Like Ari Gold himself, "Entourage" is a cynical, cash-grab jerk of a movie that doesn't know when to quit.